Paper clip



Nov. 4, 1930. G. P. SCHMITT PAPER CLIP Filed Oct. 8, 1928 Patentedl Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PAPER '.onIr 1 GEORGE P. SCHMITT, on1oAix-,nalin, CALIFORNIA y Application led October8,ifi1l9i28i. Serialil l;

The invention relates to an improved clip or fastener for papers and the like.

An object` of the invention lis to, provide a clip which is arranged to effect a particularly i .5 positive and releasable retention of papers ):1' bodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the clip. Figure 8 1s a perspective side view of the clip as it appears in use for binding a number of sheets together. n

Figure 4 is a perspective edge view of the clip in use as in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 8, but showing a difierent application of the clip. l

As herewith particularly shown, the de- 3U vice of my invention is applied to a clip 5 constructed of a single piece of resilient wire convoluted to form substantially U-shaped and flat clamp members 6 and 7 connected by an intermediate U-shaped loop 8 of the wire. It? rEhe member 6 is delined .by an end portion 9 of the wire connected to an opposed wire portion 11 by means of a bend 12, and the member 7 is correspondingly formed with sides 13 and 14 connected by a bend 15.A As

1j) shown, the member 6 is slightly smaller than the member 7 and is nestable within it whereby said members are arranged to be substantially coplanar and coextensive when the clip is not in use, as is particularly shown in Fig- M'iff ures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

bers 6 and 7 bends 18 and 19 being provided at the juncture pointsof the loop sides with said' 'clamp sidesy for eecting saidrelation ofthe clip partsf' The bends 18and 19,l it *will be iparticularly noted,y are provided laterally opposite the adjacent Vwire'eirtremi- 55` `ties 21 andl2v2 respectively,Vfandsaid; eX- termities are preferably formed to provide Vdistinct peripheral" edges "at the" wire end. InA the present instance', the:` wire is cutoff 'square to Iprovide 'a A'rigrht-'angled'-edgefthere around, it being noted that the use of a' Aspecial point "forming means is thus avoided. V

'y AThe'bends 18 and 19,"itwi'l lv now vbe clear, cooperate .with the;wire")eXtremities 21 and 22 to define a line ofdemarcation between the ,65 clamp members 6 and 7 andthe loop8,rsaid line beingconveniently.A considered as defin- 'ing :the inneredge ofv the clampfmembers' and 'the base of thel'oop. Furthermore, for bon? venience,that side of the space occupiedby the clamp members-fromwhieh'theloop 8 extends will hereinafter bereferred to as 'the `forward sideofithe clip, whereby the loop 8 may be said to extend Loblioluely forwardly from the members 6 and7. 'l 'In' using the' clip now described, a'number of sheets zofifpaper or other :sheet material" would be' inserted 'between the' clamp mem` bers 6 and'7f'from'the free ends thereof 'by -V springing said members apart;` the edges of 80 said lsheets at the clip extendingintoand Vobliquely through the loop V8. Asparticular- -ly' disclosed in7 Figures and `4','- thel clip is operately disposed for clamping together a front sheet 23Aand oneor moreund'erlying w85 sheets 24, withithe larger clamp vmember 7 disposed in front of the' sheet 23-and the other clamp member 6 lying behind the rearmost Vsheet 24. Owingi to the'foblique for# ward -protrusionfof the' loop' 8, thevarious sheets are bent forwardly out of their plane by reason of the engagement of the loop porj tion 16 'therebehind whereby the sheets are more'or less sharply bent over the-extremity 21 of* the clip portionv This ,bending of the sheets in itself tends to further; clamp the Vsheets together to resisttheirfremoval Vfrom the clip,ibut if a sheet removing force s'uflicient to overcome the frictionalgrip provided` be enertedifor removing;asheet,l the sharp '100 I edge of the extremity 2l willi-be brought to bearY against the surface ofthe outersheet `23 Yand removal thereof and of the other sheets will be additionally resisted, lIn fact,

vso effective 'islthe Vengagement provided that the sheets will betorn` bythe extremity 21 Y before a removal thereof longitudinally of @the elipmay be effected, andthe sheets vare Y thusv positively retained within the; Yclip kagainst an accidental disengagement thereof.'k For removing thefclipfr'om the sheets, 'a

" .Y i vfineogizea A paper clip.- constructed of resilient wirel to provide two substantially plane clamping members having base edges thereof defined i at lines through the freev ends of the wire and" af substantially plane connecting loop having its plane interseotingat a sharp'angle to'the plane of member at the baseline thereof. i

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa-ture;r

' most convenientmethod is to effectopposite rotations ,of the clipvv and sheets-intheir com` mon plane and about a point approximately atrthe `extremity 21.v for generally reversing therrelationof the clip .to the sheets whereby the clip andsheets-may besep'arated without 'Y ,in frontof the forward sheet -23 and theother firs 'memberbehind therearmost sheet 24. AIn this case, the wire; extremity l22' cooperates withthe loop portion 17 foripro'viding the desired grip on' the sheets, the other extremity- 2l.r being then inoperative except as formingr part ofthe clamp, member l7. In this man;1er--theI clip is arrangedto :be equally operative 'in whicheverlway it isI mounted for l ,holding sheetstogether, it now being clearl that-the operation of my device is essentially i i .that ofthe coaotion-of but one ywire extremity withan opposed loop portion, andthatif the rrfelip; be-always engaged with sheets in the same relation, the disposition and-'shape of l-c-losedthe ,Clipl asfrmed of a piece of wire' of -y the wire extremity not used as a sto'pfmeans` is generally: immaterial.- i l L i While I haveh'erewith particularly'dis'- Y circular section, it will be obvioustlat a Clip embodying theinvention might wellbe Y made of a strip of suitable resilient material of other than circular section.-And it'will be further evident that the device of my invention may bereadily applied to al number of-otherfexis-ting types fof clips without def Partinggfrom thefspirit of said invention.-y

I.YLFromftheforegoing.description taken inv connection with 'the' `accomp'a'1i-ying ,drawings, the .advantagesfof the construction and i f` method of operation-will beA readily*y understood those. skilledin'f the art to which thefinvention appertains, andwhilel have I described the principle of operation, together Y y Awiththe vdevice which Iv now consider to be the best embodiment thereof,'I vdesire to have i it'understoodthat the 'device shown is'fmere- A y made1,fwhen desired Y Claim as new and desireit'o seoureby Letters Patentfoftheffnited' `Statesthe following:

ly illustrative,and thatsuoh changes may be asfallfwithin 1th@ Seite'. '1

ofthe appended claim;V j I Having' thus described my` invention, I 

